


Getting it Right

by TauriCXIV



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Adorable dorks, Crush at First Sight, First Kiss, M/M, assassination attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2019-06-17 15:38:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15464643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TauriCXIV/pseuds/TauriCXIV
Summary: Noctis is assigned a Kingsglaive to shadow him during talks with representatives from Accordo. The Glaive in question is very distracting.





	Getting it Right

“Is this really necessary? Not that I’m complaining.”

“You could have fooled me,” says Ignis reading over his papers again.

“A Kingsglaive, though? That seems excessive,” Noct says as he checks his reflection for the tenth time. He’s being paranoid, but he can’t help but feel something is out of place. Like there’s toilet paper stuck to his shoe even though he’s checked that about five times now.

Ignis snaps the binder he’s holding shut and walks over to him. It takes about three seconds for him to fix the vest buttons he did wrong. “These proceedings may not be the fate of the world, but they still cause tension. Your father wants to be sure you are well protected to and from the Citadel. Nyx Ulric is the best Kingsglaive operative there is. Should anything go wrong, he is the best option to keep you safe.”

“You know I can use magic myself, right? My whole family can, in fact. It’s kind of our thing.”

“Ah, yes, I seem to recall you using said magic to set the curtains of fire.”

“I was fifteen and it was an accident!”

“I should hope so,” Ignis says with that obnoxious little smile he has when he’s making fun of him. “There are better ways to express your distaste for interior decorating.”

They head down to the garage where the car is already waiting for them. The Kingsglaive his father has assigned to him is standing in full uniform by the door.

“Your Highness,” says the Glaive– the ridiculously attractive, like _stupidly_ handsome, should-have-been-a-model _good-looking_ Glaive– with a bow.

Noctis clears his throat and hopes he isn’t as red as he thinks he is. “You must be Nyx Ulric.”

“That I am,” he says as he opens the car door. Noct gives a quick ‘Thank you’ that comes out squeakier than he’d intended. Thankfully neither Ulric nor Ignis seem to notice.

Ignis slides into the backseat with him. He hands Noctis one of the folders he’s brought and begins giving a rundown of the contents. Noctis doesn’t hear a word, he’s too busy watching the Glaive climb into the front seat.

The car pulls out of the lot. Ignis is still talking. Noctis can’t take his eyes off Ulric.

He shakes hands with the representatives from Accordo and important people in Lucis. Noctis sits to his father’s right and talks begin with Imperial blockades and trade routes. He’s aware of Ulric’s presence at his back throughout the meeting. He steals a glance or two back at where he’s standing, arms behind his back, face like it was carved from marble. He tries to follow the conversation, but every so often he realizes he doesn’t know when the topic changed.

It’s fine, he tells himself. Ignis is there and he’s very diligently taking notes. He can ask him what he missed later.

* * *

“So… where are you from? If you don’t mind me asking.” Ignis stayed at the Citadel when the meeting ended. It’s just Noctis now, alone in the car with Ulric and no idea how to talk to the man without sounding like a bumbling idiot.

“Galahd.”

“Oh,” is all Noctis can think to say. Galahd had been one of the first territories to fall the Niflheim after the Wall had been pulled back. A lot of people had died there— a lot of civilians. Great way to start a conversation. Good job, Noct.

Ulric takes mercy on him. “It’s pretty different from Insomnia. Lots of mountains and rivers everywhere. When I was a kid used to swim in the river near our house, we’d be the only souls for miles.”

“It sounds beautiful,” Noctis says softly.

“Yeah, but city life has its own appeal. Insomnia’s got plenty that’s easy on the eyes.” Noctis looks up at the rearview mirror where Nyx’s eyes are reflected and looking straight at him.

Noct quickly turns to the window, his face feels like it’s on fire.

The rest of the drive is quiet until they arrive at his apartment building. “Ah, here we are. Home, sweet home.”

“Thank you, Ulric,” he says when Nyx helps him out of the car.

“My pleasure,” he says. Then Nyx does something that makes Noct’s heart leap out of his chest. Nyx takes his hand and presses his lips to the knuckles. “Sleep well, your Highness.”

* * *

Noctis didn’t sleep at all. Not a wink. Well, maybe a few hours when he got really tired, but it certainly didn’t feel like it.

He’s already up when Ignis arrives, which apparently is such an earth-shattering event that he feels the need to snap a photo and send it to Gladio. If Noct hit him in the face with a pillow in retaliation… that seemed completely fair.

Nyx is just as gorgeous the next time Noct sees him. He looks different though. It takes Noct a while to put his finger on it but then he realizes Nyx shaved. There’s no more stubble on his chin. His hair looks like it’s just been brushed and the braids recently redone. He wonders if it feels as soft as it looks.

“Good morning, your Highness,” Nyx says with a grin that makes something in his belly do a flip.

Oh, this is _bad_.

“Good morning,” he replies curtly and climbs into the car without another word.

Noct makes a point to keep his eyes _off_ Nyx for the ride to the Citadel. Instead, he reads through all the notes Ignis made the day before. Apparently, there was a dispute over a shipment of shrimp that went missing and it had become so volatile it turned into an international incident. Huh.

* * *

The meetings go on for three more days. He's offered a word or two that is met with hums of consideration. He thinks he’s going to combust everytime Nyx opens the door for him. He tries to stay focused, he really does, but on the third day, when one of the Accordo officials starts in on a long personal anecdote he finds his gaze drifting to the Glaive at his side. Unfortunately, this time he’s not as stealthy as before. Nyx smiles and winks at him and Noctis has to stare at the table while he gets his heart rate back to normal.

When it’s all done everyone is smiling and shaking hands and congratulating each other even though it doesn’t feel to Noct like they accomplished anything at all. His father places a hand on his shoulder and says he did well (which makes him fight back a smile and look away).

Everyone is leaving. Ignis has his folders packed up and lets Noct know he will see him tomorrow afternoon before he heads out too. Gladio goes to talk with his father, he’ll leave only after Noct does. Noctis stays back. Now that everything is said and done, he hopes he can have a few words with his dad before he retires for the night.

He’s leaning against a pillar, waiting for his dad to finish up pleasantries. Nyx is standing next to him (close enough that he could smell the man’s aftershave).

When first shots ring out he doesn't understand what he's hearing. It's not until he feels a sharp, agonizing pain spread through his thigh that he realizes someone is shooting at him. He doesn't even hit the ground before Nyx sweeps him up into his arms and warps them both into cover before the next barrage can rain down.

"You're hit," Nyx says, but it's _his_ voice that sounds pained. He eases Noct onto the floor. Blood is dripping onto the marble.

"I-I'm fine. Just the leg– _gah!_ " _Gods,_ it hurts. _It hurts!_

"Easy, let me help." Nyx keeps one arm around his shoulders, cradling him to his chest. The other hand reaches out over the wound on his thigh. He focuses and then he's pressing ice against Noct's skin.

Noct gasps at the sudden cold. Nyx's hand pulls back. "No, it's- it's okay," Noct says. He reaches out and pushes Nyx's hand back against his thigh. The ice magic numbs the pain. "It helps," he sighs.

"We can't heal it until we know there nothing in the wound."

He nods. Then asks, "My dad?"

"King Regis is safe." Noctis doesn't know how Nyx knows that. If he saw him get to safety or if he's just assuming the Crownsguard did their job, but there's no uncertainty in his voice. No doubt in his eyes.

Bullets are still flying. His leg is bleeding. People are probably _dead_. Noctis can't look away from Nyx.

"Your Highness... Noctis.” Noct shivers at the sound of Nyx saying his name. Nyx seems to notice because he says it again. “Noctis, I know this is extremely inappropriate, horribly timed, and maybe even illegal, but I'm going to kiss you now."

Vaguely, he thinks this not how his first kiss should have happened. He doesn't have time to consider what proper first kiss would be, though, because Nyx's lips are against his. It's light at first– a soft brush that sends electricity down his back. Then a second, harder, almost desperate press of lips he thinks might leave a bruise (he thinks he’d be okay with that). Then Nyx is pulling at his lower lip with his teeth. Noct whimpers and Nyx releases it only to kiss him again.

When Nyx pulls away Noct fights the urge to chase after him.

“Nyx?”

“I think it’s over,” Nyx says. Sure enough, the sound of gunshots has stopped. There are people calling his name. He hears Gladio and his dad among them. His leg hurts like hell, but he’s never felt better.

* * *

Apparently, the culprits aren’t so much _master assassins_ as they are amateurs trying to sow discord. Thankfully their brilliant plan of ‘fire at random’ hadn’t panned out too well. Cor has them escorted to their new home behind bars to await trial.

Noctis spends two days in the hospital ‘as a precaution’. He doesn’t see the point. His leg heals easy enough with a potion once they’ve fished out all the bits of metal. His dad fusses over him, which is nice, but he just wishes they could spend more than five minutes together without him having to lose blood first (and the sorrowful look in his dad gets in his eyes is something he wishes he never had to see). Iggy, Gladio, and even Iris check in on him. Prompto’s not allowed past security but he tells him it’s fine over a video call (it really isn’t, but there’s nothing Noct can do about it now).

He doesn’t see Nyx at all. He begins to wonder if the kiss had been nothing more than a distraction. Just like the ice spell— a way to keep his mind off the pain. Well, it worked. He hadn’t been able to think of anything else since. But now what? If it really didn’t mean anything… He should just forget it. Just forget the handsome Glaive.

Just forget.

It’s not that easy.

He's cleaning up after training when he runs into Ulric. Literally runs _into_ him. The Glaive catches his shoulders before he could fall embarrassingly on his ass.

"Sorry," Noct mumbles and tries to flee as quickly as possible.

"Highness, wait." Like he thought, they're back to titles. Not that they really ever stopped, but– you know.

“Yes, Glaive Ulric?" Noctis prompts body turned away.

"I've been wanting to talk to you about– about what happened. With us.”

Noct buries his feelings and says, "You're not in trouble if that's what you're worried about. You were doing your duty to protect me. Distracting me from my injuries falls into that line of duty. Though I don't recommend using that particular method again."

“What? No that wasn't– I wasn't trying to distract you. I mean, I was, but that wasn't the only reason. Shit. Sorry, I'm really bad at this."

Noctis is confused. He turns to Nyx. "What are you saying?"

Nyx rubs the back of his neck and looks… nervous. Noct’s never seen him nervous. He’s only ever exuded suave confidence. "I’m doing this all backward, but I figured I’d give it a shot anyway. I wanted to ask… Will you have dinner with me tonight?”

Noct’s brain must be broken because he can't process what Nyx is saying. Nyx keeps talking.

"I kissed you because I wanted to kiss you. I've wanted to pretty much since I first saw you."

Noctis is quiet. He doesn’t know what to say except, “That was my first kiss.”

Nyx looks horrified. “ _Seriously?_ That was your first kiss? That’s a shitty way to a first kiss. It’s supposed to be, like, during a crappy horror movie where the blood is obviously ketchup. But you were never really watching the movie anyway, it was just an excuse to be in a dark room with your arm around their shoulder. And then halfway through you lean in for the kiss and, sure, you stab them in the eye with your nose, but you’ll leave that part out when you tell the story to your friends. _That’s_ a first kiss.”

Noctis can’t stop himself from laughing.

“It shouldn’t be when you’ve got a bullet in your leg and someone’s trying to kill you.”

Noctis shrugs. “I don’t know, it wasn’t all that bad. At least there was no eye stabbing. ”

“Yeah? I suppose that counts for something.”

Noct is smiling, and so is Nyx. He has a nice smile. “Hmm, maybe we can make up for it? After dinner?”

Nyx is beaming and it nearly takes his breath away. “Sounds great. I’ll pick you up.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on tumblr at [TauriCXIV!](https://tauricxiv.tumblr.com/)


End file.
